Owen Davis
Encyclopedia
Owen Gould Davis, Sr. was an American dramatist. He received the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
for his 1923 play Icebound
, and penned hundreds of plays and scripts for radio and film. Before the First World War, he also wrote racy sketches of New York high jinks and low life for the Police Gazette
under the name of 'Ike Swift'. Many of these were set in the Tenderloin
.
Davis was born in Portland, Maine
and lived until he was fifteen in Bangor
. He was the father of actor Owen, Jr.
and playwright, Donald
. His brother William Hammatt Davis
was Chairman of the National War Labor Board
in Franklin Roosevelt's administration. Davis died in New York City
.
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
for his 1923 play Icebound
Icebound (play)
Icebound is a 1923 play written by American playwright Owen Davis, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.It is set in Veazie, Maine, a suburb of Bangor....
, and penned hundreds of plays and scripts for radio and film. Before the First World War, he also wrote racy sketches of New York high jinks and low life for the Police Gazette
Police Gazette
The National Police Gazette, commonly referred to as simply the Police Gazette, was an American magazine founded in 1845 by two journalists, Enoch E. Camp, also an attorney, and George Wilkes, a transcontinental railroad booster...
under the name of 'Ike Swift'. Many of these were set in the Tenderloin
Tenderloin, Manhattan
The Tenderloin was an entertainment and red-light district in the heart of the New York City borough of Manhattan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
.
Davis was born in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and lived until he was fifteen in Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. He was the father of actor Owen, Jr.
Owen Davis, Jr.
Owen Gould Davis, Jr. was an American actor. He was the son of Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winner, dramatist Owen Davis, Sr....
and playwright, Donald
Donald Davis (writer)
Donald Davis was an American playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the play and film adaptations of The Good Earth, among others.He was married to actress Dorothy Matthews...
. His brother William Hammatt Davis
William Hammatt Davis
William Hammatt Davis was the Chairman of the War Labor Board in the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt, where his job was keeping industrial peace between management and labor. He was also appointed US Economic Stabilizer in the last months of World War II, though Roosevelt's...
was Chairman of the National War Labor Board
National War Labor Board
The National War Labor Board was a federal agency created in April 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. It was composed of twelve representatives from business and labor, and co-chaired by Former President William Howard Taft. Its purpose was to arbitrate disputes between workers and employers in...
in Franklin Roosevelt's administration. Davis died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.